CEAS Alumnus Develops New Heat Pipe to Support Spacecraft

As humans continue to explore space, their spacecraft require newer technologies. Often, these new technologies generate more heat, which can be a problem if the structures can't withstand it. Mohammed Ababneh, PhD, thinks he has found the solution for managing these higher temperatures.

Ababneh, a research development engineer at Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. (ACT) and a graduate of the University of Cincinnati's (UC) mechanical engineering PhD program, specializes in electronics cooling for space and terrestrial applications.

He worked as the principal investigator of the program and part of a larger ACT team made up of Calin Tarau, PhD, William Anderson, PhD, and Corey Wagner. Jeff Farmer, PhD, technical monitor from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Jesse Fisher from Lockheed Martin also assisted with the tests.

Ababneh and the team at ACT created a new high-heat-flux heat pipe that more than triples the existing heat capacity of standard heat pipes used in spacecraft.

"Traditional grooved heat pipes have been a proven technology for spacecraft thermal control for over 40 years," said Ababneh. "These heat pipes can transfer large amounts of power over long distances, but the maximum heat flux is set by the boiling limit."

Ababneh and the team's goal was to create a new heat pipe that can withstand the heat generated by newer electronics systems such as CubeSat/SmallSat and high-power laser diode arrays.

To test the capabilities of the recently developed heat pipes, the group teamed up with Lockheed Martin. On top of showing the new heat pipes' ability to withstand three times the heat of traditional pipes, the tests at ACT and Lockheed Martin showed that these new heat pipes perform efficiently, consistently and reliably and are adaptable to increased temperatures.

"This development represents a revolution in heat pipe technology that addresses the need of more demanding spacecraft performance," said Ababneh.

Before ACT, Ababneh earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Jordan University of Science and Technology. He then pursued his PhD in mechanical engineering at UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS), where he worked under senior associate dean Frank Gerner, PhD, in the Microscale Heat Transfer Lab.

"Professor Gerner has more than 25 years of experience in heat pipes, microscale heat transfer and electronics cooling," said Ababneh. "He was not only an academic adviser but also a tremendous source of inspiration."

At UC, Ababneh worked on several projects in partnership with industry leaders like General Electric and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, including the construction of a flat heat pipe system for use in smart phones and tablets, as well as aircraft and drones. Since then, Ababneh has focused on developing thermal management solutions for spacecraft through his role at ACT.

The new heat pipe technology marks another leap forward for human's capabilities in space.

"What we develop in our field will support the future of human and robotic space exploration missions," he said.

Related Links
University of Cincinnati
Space Technology News - Applications and Research

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